Words like infāq which connote devotion of wealth and life to the path of Allah the Almighty are mentioned in more than two hundred places in the Qur’an. Even this number is enough to comprehend the extent and significance of infāq.

“Surely Allah has bought of the believers their persons and their property for this, that they shall have the garden…”(9; 111 )

The most ideal and concrete manifestation of selling ones’ life is martyrdom and being a veteran. Islam’s first martyr Sumayya’s story is an exemplary one. She donated her life in the path of Allah. She bought paradise with her life and she is waiting for the moment when the eternal rewards will be given. We should follow the same path and be ready to give our wealth and our lives in order to attain Allah’s contentment.

Again in the Dardanelles War, even though the Turkish army did not have any gunpowder left, they won the battle because, they displayed one of the most concrete manifestations of giving possessions and lives for the sake of Allah. There are many examples of this kind. Selling wealth to Allah is a metaphor which conveys spending the wealth for the sake of Allah. Allah the Almighty mentions the following when counting the attributes of the pious:

“Those who believe in the unseen and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them.” (2; 3)

Sadaqa and infāq, which are the common terms for charity in Islam, have many kinds. Sadaqa and infāq starts with giving whatever there is. According to this, even giving half a date is accepted as infāq and it saves the donor from the hellfire. The Prophet (pbuh) considered every Muslim rich. Because he taught through his sayings that Muslims’ actions such as commanding right and forbidding wrong, helping the oppressed, comforting the faithful, rejoicing the stricken souls, picking up objects in the road that could cause problems to passersby, and visiting the sick etc. can all be considered acts of infāq. And these do not depend on the person’s financial strength. That means even for the financially weakest believer there are several ways to perform infāq and sadaqa.

In fact charity is not something undertaken with just wealth. Numerous acts which everybody is able to do such as giving directions, comforting, advising and smiling are among the factors which create a peaceful and tranquil society, and help the sense of brotherhood and solidarity to take root in the society.

Since it maintains the order and the balance of the society, in a way giving charity to the poor and stricken members of the society are causes of blessing both in this world and the Hereafter. The following story is a nice manifestation of this reality.

On one occasion a beggar stood before Ali (r.a.) and asked some things. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him told his sons, Hasan and Husain (r.a.) to go home and bring the six dirhams they have at home. Hasan and Husain went home and brought the money, and Ali (r.a.) gave it to the beggar, whereas they needed that money. Fatimah (r.a.) was going to buy flour with it. Later when Ali (r.a.) was on his way home, he met a man wishing to sell his camel. The man sold his camel to Ali (r.a.) for 140 dirhams agreeing to be paid later. Before Ali (r.a.) arrived his home, he met another man who wanted to buy the camel for 200 dirhams in advance.

Ali (r.a.) got the money, paid his 140 dirham debt and gave the remaining 60 dirham to Fatimah. Then he said:

“This is Allah’s promise to us when he said “Whoever brings a good deed, he shall have ten like it…” (6; 160) We gave our 6 dirhams and Allah the Almighty rewarded us by ten times of it.”

In addition to Allah the Almighty’s above-mentioned blessings, according to the verse “Is the reward of goodness aught but goodness?” (55; 60) zakāt and infāq opens the doors of mercy and closes the doors of evil.

The following incident which happened during the peak times of terrorist attacks in the 1970’s is quite an exemplary one. Five or six robbers went into a store and asked the store owner to give all the money in the safe. Just as the poor old guy hopelessly got the keys to the safe, the robber who was looking out for the door ran over to him and stood in front of him. He pointed his gun to his friends and shouted:

“We will not steal a single penny from here”

Surprised by his odd behavior, his friends asked:

“What is the matter? We robbed so many stores until now and you said nothing, what happened this time? Get out of our way, and let us do our job.”

But the man who was determined to save the store owner said:

“No. we are not going to take anything from this store. Do not insist. Unless you walk through my dead body, there is nothing for you in this store. Do you know who this man is? For years while I have been drinking alcohol and gambling, this old guy was helping my family and kids. He is an exceptional person who helped my kids to get a proper education.”

Thereupon his friends apologized from the store owner and left the store. This is a very good example of the manifestation of the hadith “little charity drives away many troubles.”

The best examples of helping the poor and wrapping up their wounds can be observed in the life of our beloved Prophet (pbuh). On the one hand he wanted Muslims to transform generosity into a natural habit. He encouraged infāq by saying:

“The upper hand is better than the lower hand (i.e. he who gives in charity is better than him who takes it).”(Bukhari, Zakāt, 18)

“Do not wish to be like anyone except in two cases. (The first is) A person, whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously; (the second is) the one whom Allah has given wisdom (the Holy Qur’an) and he acts according to it and teaches it to others.”(Bukhari, ‘Ilm, 15) On the other hand he was praying:

“O Lord! Grant me life as a poor man, take my life as a poor man and on Judgment Day resurrect me in the company of the poor.”(Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Zuhd, 15) and he reorganized part of his mosque as a shelter for the homeless, poor and needy Companions. He paid close attention to the needs of these Companions, called “Companions of Suffa” and by his modest lifestyle he also became a comfort for them.

Again he said:

“The poor (who will not be worried about to be questioned by wealth in the Hereafter) will enter Paradise half a day (which is equal to 500 worldly years) before the rich.”(Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Zuhd, 37)

In another hadith, he pointed out that real dignity is not measured by one’s wealth, but by one’s piousness and righteousness “Those who increase their wealth (by not giving in charity) are the ones who decrease their reward in the Hereafter” (Bukhari, Riqaq, 13)

He also advised the poor members of his community: “Protect yourselves from the Fire, even if with one half of a date and he who hasn’t got even this, (should do so) by (saying) a good, pleasant word.” (Bukhari, Adab, 34) and showed that infāq is possible in every circumstance. Therefore, if the people who do not have enough wealth to give in charity treat others nicely and talk nicely, this is considered a kind of charity. It is even declared in a verse as better than monetary charity, which is followed by insults:

“Kind speech and forgiveness is better than charity followed by injury; and Allah is Self-sufficient, Forbearing.”(2; 263)

The above mentioned sayings of the Prophet encourage neither poverty nor affluence. On the contrary they show that both sides have good sides of their own and it is necessary for a person to be content and act according to his financial conditions. The important thing is that a servant, whether rich or poor, should live according to Divine contentment.

The Prophet (pbuh) accepted that all believers possessed generosity in their hearts. Even though Abu Dhar (may Allah be pleased with him), one of the Companions of the Prophet, owned nothing in this world, the Prophet (pbuh) used to tell him that:

“O Abā Dhar! When you prepare the broth, add water to that and give that (as a present) to your neighbour.”(Muslim, Kitab al-Birr, 142) Because, Abu Dhar could not even afford pulses to put in his soup.

Being poor in the wallet can do no harm to those who are rich in their hearts. If someone is rich in his/her heart along with affluence in his/her wallet, this would increase his generosity. For those who are poor in their hearts, on the other hand, wealth in the wallet cannot do them any good. On the contrary, it intensifies his/her poverty in the heart. And those who are poor both in the wallet and in the heart will be miserable in both worlds.

The Prophet (pbuh) stated that real affluence is not the abundance of property but affluence in the heart.[1] In this manner everyone’s affluence is in the extent of his/her richness in the heart. Contentment, on the other hand, is a boundless treasure as it is stated in the traditions of the Prophet (pbuh),[2] and real believers are those who have this treasure and give in charity. Infāq is the utmost manifestation of the believer’s astuteness and responsibility.

When Omar (may Allah be pleased with him) was on his way to Damascus, he was taking turns with his slave to ride his camel. It was his slave’s turn, when they arrived at the gates of the city. As a result of Omar’s perseverance, he was on foot and his slave was on the camel while they were entering the city. This is another notable manifestation of infāq and ithar from Islamic history.

Ithar means to take what is ours and give it to others, to prefer others over ourselves and to pass our rights onto others, which is rare in today’s society. We need to encourage going beyond obligatory zakāt. Collection and distribution of charity should be organized by institutions. We should also train an adequate number of staff for these institutions. It is also a significant duty of contemporary society to found hospitals and nursing homes for the needy members of the society.

Inclination to infāq should be a natural quality for a Muslim. Allah the Almighty says:

“Those who spend (benevolently) in ease as well as in adversity, and those who restrain (their) anger and pardon men; and Allah loves the doers of good (to others).”(3; 134)

According to a narrative, Ja’far al-Sadiq (may Allah be pleased with him) had a slave, who helped Ja’far (may Allah be pleased with him) in his personal services. One day the slave accidentally knocked a bowl of soup over Ja’far (may Allah be pleased with him). Ja’far (may Allah be pleased with him) got angry. Upon this the slave said:

“O master! “Those who restrain their anger” are praised in the Qur’an and recited a verse.”

Ja’far al-Sadiq (r.a.) told him that he controlled his anger.

Again the slave said:

“Those who forgive the faults are also praised in the same verse and recited the related part of the verse.” Ja’far (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

“Ok I forgive you”

Then the slave told him”

“In the following part of the verse, it is stated that “Allah loves those who do good” and he recited the rest of the verse.”

Upon this Ja’far (r.a.) said:

“Ok you may go now. You are free. I am emancipating you for the sake of Allah.”

According to the sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) a sinful woman was forgiven just because she had given some water to a thirsty dog. On the other hand another woman who left a cat hungry and caused the death of the poor animal was punished in the hellfire. These examples reveal the true state of a believer’s heart; therefore, a Muslim should be sensitive, altruistic, generous and merciful.

The acceptable generosity before Allah the Almighty is to give from the best part of the property. If only this nicety is taken into account in charitable actions, then these actions will be means to convey the donor to Divine contentment.

Ashab al-Suffa, who devoted their lives to the path of Islam and do not think other than worshipping Allah the Almighty, could not find time to earn their lives. That is why other Muslims brought them dates to eat. Once some people brought them rotten dates and because Ashab-i Suffa were really hungry, they had no choice but to eat them. Upon this incident the following Divine warning was revealed:

“O you who believe! spend (benevolently) of the good things that you earn and or what We have brought forth for you out of the earth, and do not aim at what is bad that you may spend (in alms) of it, while you would not take it yourselves unless you have its price lowered, and know that Allah is Self-sufficient, Praiseworthy.” (2; 267)

In another verse, Allah the Almighty informs us to give out of the things we like in order to be close to Him:

“By no means shall you attain to righteousness until you spend (benevolently) out of what you love; and whatever thing you spend, Allah surely knows it.”(3; 92)

The term “birr” has been interpreted as in the meaning of perfection in righteousness, Allah’s mercy, His contentment and Paradise. In another verse Allah the Almighty states the term birr as follows:

“It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the East and the West, but righteousness is this that one should believe in Allah and the last day and the angels and the Book and the prophets, and give away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for (the emancipation of) the captives, and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate; and the performers of their promise when they make a promise, and the patient in distress and affliction and in time of conflicts– these are they who are true(to themselves) and these are they who guard (against evil).”(2; 177) This verse also contains several other nice qualities, which a Muslim should have, in addition to birr.

We need a serious campaign for infāq in our society, in which feelings of brotherhood and solidarity have been weakening; social peace and tranquility are disappearing; while feelings of hatred and hostility are getting stronger. This campaign is very important for both our children as well as ourselves. Our children should be raised knowing that the real owner of all wealth is Allah the Almighty. Just like we have a responsibility to teach our kids the basics of our religion, we also have the responsibility to inoculate them with the excitement of infāq and to accustom them with the believer’s obligation of helping the stricken. If we cannot manage to accustom them when they are young, that would be ruinous for their future.

Those who wish to be mature believers have to help, support and pray for the needy as much as they could. Sharing the problems of the stricken is also an act of infāq. It is possible to observe from the following prayer of Moses (pbuh) that rejoicing the broken hearts leads to closeness to Allah the Almighty. According to a narration one day Moses (pbuh) entreated for:

“O Lord! Where should I look for you?” Allah the Almighty responded:

“Look for me among the heartbroken” (Abu Nuaym, Hilya, II, 364).

One of the most important services of the modern day is spend our resources to reinvigorate the institutions which instruct guiding figures. As it has been aptly stated by a thinker that “The greatest difference between dominating and dominated nations is a handful of well-trained human beings.” What humanity needs are such a handful well-educated people.

If today’s Muslim world is socially lost, it is because they faced an oppression which they could not get rid of. It should be remembered that in order to change the unfortunate fate of the Muslim world, Muslims should work more than the times they were strong. Muslims must adopt the Divine statement: “verily, with every difficulty, there is relief” as a principle of life and determine to find a way to save themselves. This is such a significant responsibility that some actions which are normally lawful transform into legally questionable ones. It is similar to the situation of a mother, who while she breastfeeding her baby, finds herself in the middle of a fire. If she keeps breastfeeding and puts her baby’s and her life in danger, she would be accountable for her actions. This is an important issue of Islamic sciences called “maslahah” or public interest. Therefore Muslims should meticulously examine contemporary Muslim society’s interest and then do whatever maslahah requires but not more than it requires. Maybe then Muslims can find a way out of their crisis.

As we mentioned before, religious foundations, which have been the distinctive marks of Muslim civilization, are the best practical examples showing how perfectly they determined and figured out the needs and exigencies of time.

The strongest capability which deviates heart away from Allah the Almighty and attaches it to itself can be observed in wealth and children. Because of that Allah states in the Holy Qur’an:

“Your possessions and your children are only a trial, andAllah it is with Whom is a great reward.” (64; 15)

“O you who believe! let not your wealth, or your children, divert you from the remembrance of Allah; and whoever does that, these are the losers.” (63; 9)

Infāq can be best performed through religious foundations. They are the safest way for the rich to reach the needy. In a way they are bridges between the poor and the rich. Those who give their charity to religious foundations enjoy the possibility to reach the needy even after their death.

b- Manners of infāq

Manners are extremely important in charitable actions like zakāt and sadaqa. Above all the donor should not be expecting appreciation from the receiver, because the receiver saves the donor from an obligatory debt and assures him to get a Divine reward. Charity also protects the donor from all kinds of maladies and calamities. The poor, the miserable and the needy are actually a blessing for the affluent, because the gates of heaven will be opened by their prayers.

The following is stated in the Qur’an regarding the manners of infāq:

“O you who believe! do not make your charity worthless by reproach and injury, like he who spends his property to be seen of men and does not believe in Allah and the last day; so his parable is as the parable of a smooth rock with earth upon it, then a heavy rain falls upon it, so it leaves it bare; they shall not be able to gain anything of what they have earned; and Allah does not guide the unbelieving people.”(2; 264)

Even though giving zakāt and sadaqa is encouraged in this verse, the conduct, which should be observed in infāq, is also clearly mentioned. Charity followed by breaking hearts, belittling the poor, reminding generosity and insults has no value in the presence of Allah the Almighty.

The Prophet (pbuh) said:

“Three are the (persons) with whom Allah would neither speak on the Day of Resurrection, nor would look at them nor would absolve the and there is a painful chastisement for them.”

Upon hearing that the messenger of Allah repeated those words three times, Abu Dharr remarked:

“They failed and they lost; who are these persons, O Messenger of Allah?”

To this the Prophet (pbuh) responded:

“They are: the dragger of lower garment, the one who reminds his generosity and the seller of goods by false oath.”(Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, 171)

These statements prove that charities followed by insults and reminders are great sins which will cause the servant to be punished, because hearts are the places of Divine sight. Rumi says:

“Nicely give your property, your wealth, your possessions and make the soul happy so that the prayer of that soul be a light in your grave, and light your way in the dark night.”

In his sapient couplets Rumi (may Allah bless his soul) points out that the poor and needy are in a way blessing for the affluent since by means of the poor, wealthy people can pay their gratitude to Allah the Almighty. He also states in the following passage that bounty can only be reflected on the people in need and for that, affluent people should be careful not to hurt their feelings:

“The poor is the mirror of bounty, Beware! Do not breathe over the mirror by saying hurtful things to the face of the mirror.

One of the manifestations of Allah’s bounty is the poor. Allah Almighty causes the poor to beg, thus paths to happiness are prepared for the generous. Another manifestation of Allah Almighty’s bounty is to inspire the feelings of love and mercy into the heart of the wealthy to help the needy.

Inasmuch as the poor need the generosity and goodness, generosity and goodness need the poor. Just like the beautiful look for a clean, dust free and clear mirror to watch their beauty, generosity looks for the poor and the needy.

Beggars, then, are the mirrors of Allah’s bounty. There the affluent watch their bounty. The righteous rich who are united with the Absolute Bounty recognize that their wealth is just a trust upon them and they understand their weakness in the presence of Allah Almighty. And they become mirror of Divine bounty. By getting a share from Allah’s bounty, they annihilated in generosity.

Those who carry their little or abundant wealth in their hearts are the miserable of the Hereafter. This kind of people is not at Divine door. Their existence is relative, and it is just an external figure and embroidery of the door.

They are the real miserable and spiritually poor, who are drawn away from Allah Almighty. Their virtual existence is lifeless embroidery and faded picture of their misery. They are those who are soulless and unaware of the reality. Stay away from them! Do not throw a bone to a picture of a dog!

Be careful and do not set dishes before these lifeless pictures! Do not treat them with favors and do not behave friendly toward them! This kind of rich will be the beggars of Judgment day.

Such dervishes are the dervishes of bread not essence. They think that their misery is their happiness. In their opinion they eat good food and drink sweet juices, but in reality they have no share from Divine morsel.

O those who don’t want to face the same disappointment! Surround the creation with your bounty so that you can be among the wise.”

Another important conduct, which should be observed in giving zakāt or sadaqa, is to be careful about secrecy. Giving sadaqa openly may wear down the shame of the needy and he/she may get accustom to begging and stop working completely. It may also cause the rich to become arrogant.

However sometimes publicly announcing charity might contain some benefits. In this way populace get encouraged to help the poor. In the Holy Qur’an Allah the Almighty says:

“If you give alms openly, it is well, and if you hide it and give it to the poor, it is better for you; and this will do away with some of your evil deeds; and Allah is aware of what you do.” (2; 271)

Commentators have interpreted this verse as zakāt needs to be given openly and all the other types of charity have to be performed secretly.

The best conduct in charity is to give charity so secretly “that left hand does not know what the right hand has given.” People who observe this conduct have been given the good news that they will be shaded by Allah under His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His. Our ancestors displayed the best examples of this conduct.

For instance Mehmed II, the conqueror, placed several conditions in his endowment deed about the manners of helping the needy. Subjects of such a considerate Sultan used to place their charity in envelopes and leave it under the charity rocks in the mosques; people in need could go and take as much as they need without meeting the donor.

Even though secrecy has central importance in giving charity, sometimes openness is also encouraged in order to protect the heart from hypocrisy. In addition there is no time limit for charity. A believer may give charity day and night whenever it is needed. This is mentioned in the following verse:

“(As for) those who spend their property by night and by day, secretly and openly, they shall have their reward from their Lordand they shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve.”(2; 274)

Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) donated ten thousand dinars out of his forty thousand dinars during the day, ten thousand during the night, ten thousand secretly and the remaining ten thousand openly. It is said that Abu Bakr’s this generosity was the reason of revelation of the aforementioned verse.

On the other hand Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) gave one dirham out of his four dirhams during the day, another dirham during the night, one dirham secretly and one dirham openly, even though he did not have any more money. When the Prophet (pbuh) asked him “why he had done that”, he said:

“In order to deserve what my Lord promised me.” Then the Prophet (pbuh) told him:

Altruism is the sign of love. Lover makes sacrifices for his beloved in the extent of his love. He considers sacrifice as a pleasure. Sacrifice can even go as much as giving life for the beloved. Giving charity to the creation of Allah the Almighty is the greatest manifestation of love. Because, zakāt and sadaqa are given for the sake of Allah, it is expressed in the Qur’an that “Allah receives the charity” as part of the following verse:

“Do they not know that Allah accepts repentance from His servants and takes the alms, and that Allah is the Oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful?”(9; 104)

To emphasize the same subtle point, the Prophet (pbuh) says:

“Allah accepts all charity from that earned earnestly, the Lord would accept and receive it with His Right Hand.”[3]

The most important requirement in giving charity is, then, honesty, sincerity and to do it just for the sake of Allah. Feeling proud and expecting thanks and gratitude after charity is something completely unacceptable. This way of thinking cleans out all Divine rewards of charity. On the contrary, donor should feel gratitude for the needy and should not expect anything other than Allah the Almighty’s contentment. In the presence of Allah the Almighty, this is the acceptable conduct in giving charity. In the following verse Allah the Almighty praises Ali and Fatimah’s (may Allah be pleased with them) charity and advises to all believers to have the same sensitivity:

“And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive: And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive: Surely we fear from our Lord a stern, distressful day. Therefore Allah win guard them from the evil of that day and cause them to meet with ease and happiness;”(76; 8-11)

There are several subtle points about charity in this verse:

It is pointed out that altruism and preferring Muslim brother/sister upon self is a praised quality

Charity should be for the sake of Allah the Almighty not for a worldly gain

Emphasis on the importance of giving charity for the sake of Allah in order to be saved from the horrible torments of the Judgment Day

Charities given sincerely will be accepted by Allah and they will make the donor’s face lighten up on the Judgment Day

It is also pointed out that Allah the Almighty wants his servants to perform such pious deeds.

If the donor follows the guidelines given in this verse, righteousness and sincerity in his soul will also be reflected in the receiver. And even if he is not eligible to charity, he will take his lesson out of this. If charity is given with sincere intentions, then the giver will get his rewards even if it is given to someone undeserving. This is stated in the following tradition:

“Allah’s Apostle (pbuh) said, “A man said that he would give something in charity. He went out with his object of charity and unknowingly gave it to a thief. Next morning the people said that he had given his object of charity to a thief. (On hearing that) he said, “O Allah! All the praises are for you. I will give alms again.” And so he again went out with his alms and (unknowingly) gave it to an adulterous. Next morning the people said that he had given his alms to an adulterous last night. The man said, “O Allah! All the praises are for you. (I gave my alms) to an adulterous. I will give alms again.” So he went out with his alms again and (unknowingly) gave it to a rich person. (The people) next morning said that he had given his alms to a wealthy person. He said, “O Allah! All the praises are for you. (I had given alms) to a thief, to an adulterous and to a wealthy man.” Then someone came and said to him, “The alms which you gave to the thief, might make him abstain from stealing, and that given to the adulteress might make her abstain from illegal sexual intercourse (adultery), and that given to the wealthy man might make him take a lesson from it and spend his wealth which Allah has given him, in Allah’s cause.”(Bukhari, Kitab al-Zakāt, 14)

A similar incident happened to Mahmud Sâmî Ramazanoğlu (may Allah bless his soul). Once when he was on a trip in Anatolia, someone stops his car and asks for cigarette money.

Even though his friends disagree with him, he says:

“Since he asked, we need to give him money” and under his friends’ surprised looks, he unwaveringly gives the money. The poor pleased with what he had seen says:

“Now I will go and buy food with this money” and happily walks away. This is a nice example showing how a charity given sincerely can make positive effects on the needy. What a great happiness would be for us if we primarily consider the feelings of the needy not ours.

O Lord! Make the manifestations of mercy infinite treasures of our hearts.